NORTHERN IRELAND: The coalition for Women in Journalism calls upon the Irish authorities to investigate the threats to Patricia Devlin, and bring the perpetrators to justice.

– Petition, originally published by the Coalition for Women in Journalism on 16 February 2021, acessible here.

February 16, 2021 – Award-winning crime journalist Patricia Devlin is subjected to death and rape threats since 2019. In April 2019, Patricia was targeted with an online troll campaign by members of a mob she had been regularly reporting on. They harassed her with misogynistic slurs and sent out threats of rape. In October 2019, the situation worsened when she received rape threats for her newborn son and became victim to the doxxing campaign which gave out the address of the journalist and named her family members.

In October 2020, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland, sent a death threat to Patricia on her social media. When Patricia reported the threat to Facebook, the platform responded that it did not breach any safety standards, and thus will not be removed. Later, Patricia’s colleague received a threat of an “imminent attack” at the Sunday World and it appeared that threat originated from the same paramilitary group that targeted Patricia.

Patricia informed the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) of the threats she had been receiving, however, she received no response. In November 2020, Patricia filed a complaint with the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman for PSNI’s failure to investigate the threats. Patricia also requested the Scottish Police for their assistance in the case. Despite all the efforts from her end, Patricia was not informed of any developments regarding the case.

On February 12, 2021, Patricia’s name was depicted on graffiti alongside a gunshot target. This was the latest in a series of sinister attempts to threaten Patricia into silence.

Over the past few years, crime has steadily risen in Ireland in response to economic difficulties and the fallout with Brexit. A freelance reporter, Lyra McKee was killed in April 2019, the same month that the threats towards Patricia intensified. The publishers of three Belfast-based newspapers and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) also issued a statement in order to bring attention to the threats that the journalist community was facing.

A free and unthreatened media is an important facet of a stable, democratic society. Women journalists become especially vulnerable whenever the journalistic community faces such risks in a country, due to the gendered nature of the attacks they can be targeted with.

We urge the Northern Irish government to urgently address Patricia’s security concerns and assure her safety by arresting the perpetrators of the threats against her and bringing them to justice.

Signatories:

1. Kiran Nazish, Founding Director at CFWIJ

2. Ceren İskit, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ

3. Katia Mierzejewska, Engagement Coordinator at CFWIJ

4. Ayesha Khalid, Research Coordinator at CFWIJ

5. Francis Hughes, Journalist, Author, Activist

6. Philip Brown, Journalist

7. Leona O’Neill, Journalist

8. Grace O’Malley, Blogger

9. Julie Gilmour, Councillor

10. Judith McNeill, Councillor

11. Jilly Beattie, Journalist

12. Grace Bunting, Blogger

13. Brendan Harkin, Legal Analyst

14. Paul McKenna, News, Digital media production

15. Liam Wilson, Manager

16. Brenda Donnelly, Lawyer

17. Thımas Elliott, Artist

18. Jonathan McKerr, Artist

19. Dr Michael Pierse, Academic

20. Ciarán Arthurs, Project Manager

21. John Devitt, Chief Executive

22. Charmaine Kelly, Staff Nurse

23. Katie Pritchard, IT Support

24. Alison Park, Work planner

25. Seamus Watson, Quality Engineer

26. Eileen Crawford, Administration

27. Ann Travers , Advocacy worker

28. Culann McLaughlin, Telecoms

29. Karl Lynagh, Manager

30. Tommy Maguire, Manager

31. Aidan Jones, Manager

32. Conor McKinney, Ecologist

33. Shaun Cassidy

34. Denis Cairns

35. Andrena McBrearty

36. Vincent Canning

37. Ruaidhri McAleenan, Carer

38. Paddy Trainor, Voluntary Sector

39. Philip Campbell, Cabler

40. McLaughlin, Domestic Assistant

41. Deirdre Taylor, Retired nurse

42. Henry Monaghan, School Janitor

43. David Keeley, Developer

44. Dillon Lesley Ann, Carer

45. Bill Maher, Retired

46. Barry McDonald, Engineer

47. Neil Sheridan, Labourer

48. Stephen Coulter, Logistics operator

49. John Mcguigan, Self-employed

50. Paul Davis, Retired

51. Joseph McElgunn, Self-employed

52. Harriett Moore-Boyd, Textile designer & maker

53. Claire Maxwell, Fire and Security Engineer

54. Fiona Roberts, Teacher

55. Claire Coyle, Legal Secretary

56. Stephen Drew, Computer Programmer

57. Gregory O’Neill, House husband

58. Christine Mcveigh, Customer Assistant

59. Rosemary Mcgreevy

60. Sean Osborne, Support Worker

61. Joe Hayes, Manager

62. Eamon Melia, Carpenter

63. Rorie Smyth, Civil Servant

64. Tony Megahey, IT Manager

65. Danny Walsh, Electrician

66. Gary Russell, Unemployed

67. Sean Quinn, Farmer

68. Jeden Walsh, Graphic Designer

69. Christine O’Mahony, Student

70. Alan Freeman, Unemployed

71. Brian Osborne, Clinical sales specialist

72. Aobh Sharvin, Student

73. Teresa Ginley, Recruitment consultant

74. Alex McGuigan, Instructor

75. William Gordon, Retired

76. Orla Doran, Accountant

77. Sean Mulholland, Chef

78. Brian Guiney

79. Neil Templeton, Company Director

80. Derek Magill, Civil Servant

81. Deirdre Rafferty

82. Anthony McGonnell, Retired teacher

83. Kim McMahon, Self Employed

84. Clare McClure, Project manager

85. Rosà Paola, OBC Transeuropa